The aim was to combat the less attractive parties and increase the competitiveness of the competition. The threat of Super League, which has not yet seen the light of day, has pushed UEFA to implement this new format which has so confused the supporters, but which is far from having produced the desired effect.
The draw itself has raised a lot of suspicion because of the way it was carried out. In this case, traditional balls with the names of the teams inside were mixed with technology. Gianluigi Buffon opened the drums, and Cristiano Ronaldo, With the push of a button, he did the rest to define each club’s rivals.
Spanish teams’ clashes in the championship phase of the 2024-25 Champions League
José Ramón Pérez / US Art.
An act of faith, after all, both for the fans and for the clubs themselves. In theory, a computer automatically and randomly assigns, according to the rule of pairing two rivals for each of the pots, the schedule of each of the teams in this first phase of the new Champions. A way of proceeding that is too opaque and makes the conspiracy about “hot balls” almost ridiculous.
The result of all this is more games to make more money from television, but many of them with fewer incentives than the previous format offered. A lot of noise and few good sides leave this draw for the new Champions League, whose schedule will not be known until two days later.
Cristiano Ronaldo, with Ceferin for the Champions League draw.
REUTERS
However, what is known are the dates on which the matches will take place. Another novelty is that for the first time, the Champions League will play matches on Thursdays. In addition, due to the league format, the last day will be played in a unified manner on January 29, 2025. The month that marks the beginning of the presence in the highest club competition. The traditional winter break from December to February is over.
At the end of this first round, 144 matches will have been played to eliminate 12 of the 36 participating teams, four more than under the old format. There would remain 24 clubs, among which those ranked from 9th to 24th place in the championship will have to play a qualifying round to reach the round of 16, where the top eight in the ranking will await.
Difficult format and opaque print
The Champions League will never be the same again. After years with the same format, in which clubs and fans had very clear things about how it would work, the new competition model has raised many suspicions since its announcement some time ago.
The arrival of the common league of 36 clubs, four more than those that were competing until now, has radically changed the landscape and disoriented all the players in football. The first, the fans. UEFA has gone to great lengths to explain the new format, but confusion among the general public continues to reign and many still do not fully understand how the Champions League currently works.
It may be a matter of time to get used to it, but so far this new way of competing has not been particularly appreciated. The fact that each team has to play against eight others, four games at home and four away, and from there comes a common ranking to see who will qualify for the round of 16, complicates understanding.
It is important to make it easier for the public to follow the spectacle they are about to witness, but confusion is the general tone that will mark the start of this new Champions League.
A snapshot of the new Champions League draw, with the quadrants in the background.
REUTERS
Furthermore, the way in which the draw for each team’s schedule was conducted has raised even more suspicion. While there was usually discontent due to the disparate pairings of each team in the group stage, disbelief has now increased due to this new automated draw.
UEFA has put Cristiano Ronaldo to be part of their show by clicking a button. With this action, the schedule of each of the teams was configured, undoubtedly an act of faith for the most incredulous.
More games and less spectacle
UEFA’s main goal with this new competition format was to combat the more tedious group stage matches. In search of a much more attractive product, it radically changed the format but added four more teams to the competition.
The result of all this will be exactly the opposite. There will be more teams, that’s true, but many of them are of a lower level than expected and this will lead to more matches between unattractive teams.
Looking at the schedule of each of the big teams in this Champions League, it turns out that they have two or at most three matches against important rivals, clashes that will generate great attraction, but that the other five or six matches will be much less interesting.
That is to say, there will be more parties seeking economic interest, but less lucidity among many of them. It is enough to review the calendar of the current champion, Real Madrid, with three enticing matches against Liverpool, Milan and Dortmundand five others of much lesser fame against Atalanta, Salzburg, Lille, Stuttgart and Brest.
There will be some attractive matches on the first day, but the opportunity cost reduces global competitiveness. Well, barring a catastrophe, the big teams will not fall in the first phase. Lots of news, lots of confusion around the new Champions League, and a result that threatens to distort the best club competition in the world.
